Recently, I’ve had various friends suggest that I write about my horses. I began to seriously consider it this morning and was a little surprised by how excited I got regarding the subject. I guess it’s not really all that surprising because they’re one of my favorite animals. In my opinion, nothing is more beautiful than a horse that is running or just acting like a horse. They are elegant, gorgeous creatures with incredibly unique personalities.
That brings me to one of my current mounts, Elwood. He is 19 years old and I started training him when he was a two-year-old, so he’s been my partner for a lot of years. Stefan got a horse right around the same time and so we named them Jake and Elwood from The Blues Brothers.
Elwood is on the left
Jake, Ryan and Ronan
Elwood has a very unique personality. His nickname is Dennis the Menace because he’s always looking for some sort of mischief. If you look at his face, you can tell that he’s looking for trouble and not in a mean way but because he’s very curious. If he is around my quad, which has a milk basket on the front and is loaded down with stuff, at his first opportunity, he will pull everything out and scatter it all over the ground.
Elwood patiently waiting to be saddled
One of his favorite things to do is as we are traversing a difficult, rocky trail, (at any moment I am considering getting off and leading him because I am feeling nervous) is to stop abruptly and begin grazing. As I am already feeling a bit vulnerable, him dropping his head between his legs and disappearing makes me feel as if any moment we will begin tumbling down the mountain. He obviously feels absolutely no nervousness; it is I who don’t trust the moment. I think he gets some pleasure watching me catch my breath in dismay as I urge him forward. That being said, he is truly my partner. Riding a horse for that many years brings with it a multitude of experiences and builds the trust that we have for each other. I know I can count on him.
Elwood and I, savannah and Quattro with Tres Alamos in the background
Elwood is my sorting horse, he is very good at that job, and he delights in laying his ears back and baring his teeth at any cow who doesn’t move fast enough. He loves to eat and will feast on most any plant he encounters which is why is generally pretty fat. He doesn’t work as hard or cover as many miles as he used to because he is getting older. I take it easy on him as I hope I can continue to ride him many more years.
Good horse, good dog (Taylor). What more could a girl want?
Here’s to all the beautiful horses out there!!
Happy riding,
Kimberley
( Elwood butting in )
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